New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-21
EFFECTIVE GUN PRACTICE.

The Atanta's gun practice has been very
effective against the ship itself. The s-incf
baIbette pivot guns have recoiled with such
force as to tear up the tracks On which they
tryindle and also to rip up a port on of the
gun-d, ok. The target-practice' occurred In
Gardeners Bay, and the Atlanta was ire
quenty hit and well ploughed up. The oilicia
report Of it, as well as the statements In pri'
yate letters from officers and machinlsts, arc
explicit The arrangements for countelact-
ing the recoil are Inadequate. The mechan-
ism for holding the carriages in place was
broken. the rivets were drawn out OF the
tracks, and the deck was tom up. Ii these
details have not been exaggerated by the
officers, new proof is furnished OF the III
capacity of the experts Of the Ordnance Blu
reau who designed guns, carriages and tracks.
1t is true that it is always very difficult
matter to calculate Alright all the factors
in the problem of mounting large guns on
the deck of vessel of war. 1t is very
nice problem. The final results must depend
in large measure upon practical tests and
numerous experiments. Allowance should bo
made for these inherent difficulties and also
for the inexperience Of the Ordnance Bureau
in managing as heavy guns as the Atlanta's
but when this is done, ground for serious crit
icism still remains. The Bureau ought not
perhaps to have been expected ito design
guns, carriages and tracks which would fl
one another perfectly and permit accurate
practice at sea on the first trial but the
force of the recoil was a palmer and moro
practical problem which the Ordnance ex-
perts ought to have mastered.
It will be remembe:el that THE TRIBUNE
several months ago found 1t necessary to
criticise the Ordnance Bureau for various
miscalculations and blunders in the mount
ing and working Of these guns. One of tho
Ordnance Bureau officials went to the Brook
Iyn Navy Yard in hot haste and letter Of
denial of the facts at issue was contributed
TO our columns by Commander O'Neil, who
was not in any sense responsible for the
m stakes and delay. He mant7ined that
everything had been properly designed and
that every gun was mounted in good work.
ing order and ready for service. All the
technical points were argued in detail in
The TRIBUNE's columns, and the Ordnance
Bureaus, defence was completely riddled.
The tracks had been laid first with copper,
next with steel, and finally with iron rivcts,
and after months of tinkering and delay the
carriages would not run owing TO the binding
of the wheels. 1t now appears that in the
first real target-practice those thrice-ham-
mered rivets have been torn out and sections
of tho gun-dcck have been ripped up with
the tracks. We dare say, however, that the
Navy Department is as firmly convinced as
ever that there has been neither miscalcula-
ton, laundering nor delay. and that every
thing has been done in the most workman
like and expeditions. manner The tracks
were first Laid in July year ago, and the
Ordnance experts have not yet succeeded in
mounting the guns so that they can be ef-
feotively moved and fre1 without injury to
the vessel itself.